The Spanish and Chilean teams share the nickname by which they are commonly referred to.
The Spanish selection became not so many years ago, it is one of the world references after the successful cycle started by Luis Aragonés and continued by Vicente del Bosquewith two European Championships and a World Cup in between.
As it happens with many other teams on the football planet, Spain is popularly known as ‘La Roja’something that doesn’t have as many roots or tradition as that of teams like the ‘Albiceleste’ or the ‘Canarinha’, to give two examples.
Why the Spanish national team is called La Roja: history of the nickname and controversy with Chile
The nomenclature of ‘La Roja’ recently emerged in the Spanish team in 2004, according to the words of the then coach, Luis Aragonéswho went down in the history of Spain for much more important things than this nickname.
“I would like the team to be named, an identity. Just as Brazil is the Canarinha or Argentina is the Albiceleste, I would like Spain to become La Roja”said the Spanish coach.
there it originated a controversy with the Chile national teamknown several years earlier as ‘La Roja’ then the Spaniards This caused several videos to circulate claiming that the name belonged to them.
Source: Goal